Family Portrait
by Arella Grayson
Summary: Songfic for "Family Portrait" by Pink. In the midst of the digital world, Rika's memories of her past flood back to her, and only one tamer can help her through it.


Author's Note: I've been through divorce myself, my parents split up when I was a baby, I can't remember it, really, since I've grown up with my grandparents all my life.. but it hit hard when I got into contact with both, and they started trying to make me play favorites, so yes, it is hard.  
After the episode where Rika's Mom explains to her about the marriage, and divorce, I figured I might as well write a story using what I believe as probably the best written song for dealing with divorce there is.  
Any kids reading this that have been through divorce, or are going through it now... I know what you're going through, hold on, it will eventually get better. This one's going out to all of you.  
  
~~  
  
  
The calender above the pink bed read Novemeber 1995, and a small six-year-old girl wrapped in the soft blankets closed her eyes quickly at the sound of the yelling of her mother and father downstairs. Her small lilac eyes filled with tears, she grabbed for the small white fox plushie that sat on her nightstand, and she clasped it tightly to her chest. Why did they always have to fight? Couldn't they just get along? Her mother's sobbing was heard now, and it pierced the girl's heart.  
  
~  
Momma please stop cryin'..  
I can't stand the sound..  
Your pain is painful and it's tearin' me down.  
~  
  
Up the stairs, the two yelling adults walked, their fighting now completly audible right outside the girl's doorway.  
She darted back into her laying position, as her bedroom door was wide open and they might see her awake, and she didn't want to be yelled at tonight by her father.  
They always seemed to be in such a bad mood, always fighting, even over the phone, at dinner, at bedtime.  
Daddy was gone by the next morning, but came back that afternoon, and she rarely saw what she thought to be her very own superhero.   
The shadows of the two parents splashed across her bedroom floor, and when they had walked away from the door, the figure of the arms waving in anger seemed to be permanently engraved in the white carpet.  
"But what about me and Rika?!?" her mother screeched from the bedroom, and the sound of glass breaking as what the girl thought to be the glass plate her parents had received on their wedding day echoed through the hall.  
  
~  
I hear glasses breakin' as I sit up in my bed.  
I told God you didn't mean those nasty things you said.  
~  
  
"You know what?! I don't care about you or the brat!!"  
Young Rika ducked under her covers completly, pulling her toy fox with her and clasping it harder in her arms at what her father had just said.  
A flood of tears fell down her cheeks and she clasped her eyes tightly shut.  
  
~  
You fight about money.  
'Bout me and my brother.  
And this I come home to...  
This is my shelter.  
~  
  
The two arguing adults took their fighting back downstairs, and Rika quietly crept out of bed, fox toy dangling from her small hand by it's tail, and dragged across the floor like the hem of her long purple nightgown.  
She approached the staircase that her parents were at the bottom of, and blinked a few times from the sudden yellow light of the lamp lit brightly below hitting her face. She peered through the wooden railing at her parents. They hadn't seen her yet, and she wished they would, because that's what always made the yelling end.  
  
~  
It ain't easy growin' up in WW3..  
Never knowin' what love could be,  
You see, I don't want love to destroy me like it has done my family.  
~  
  
Leaning on the railing, she watched as her father gave her mother a quick angry shove.  
"You always think you're better! Always! Well I got news for you.. you're not. I've had to take care of you and the twirp all this time, and for what? NOTHING!"  
"But--" her mother started to try to cut him off, but suddenly her father's gaze reached her.  
"Rika--" he started, and Rika's eyes grew wide with panic as she turned and fled back into her room, fox waving wildly from her hand.  
  
~  
(Can we work it out?)  
Can we?  
(Can we be a family?)  
Can we?  
(I promise I'll be better...)  
I promise...  
(Mommy I'll do anything.)  
I'll do anything..  
(Can we work it out?)  
(Can we be a family?)  
(I promise I'll be better..)  
(Daddy please don't leave.)  
~  
  
"See what you did?!" was the last thing Rika heard from her mother before she slammed the door shut behind her. Walking to the back of the room where a window stood, she peered out into the blackness of the night.  
  
~  
Daddy please stop yellin'  
I can't stand the sound.  
Make Momma stop cryin'  
'Cuz I need you around...  
~  
  
She immediatly set her eyes on the brightest star in the sky, and clasped the white fox against her chest again.  
"Staw wight... staw bwight..." she started reciting the saying as best she could, and trying not to come to tears again. She told herself before she was strong enough to not cry, but she most times couldn't keep herself from it. "First staw I see tonight."  
  
~  
My Momma she loves you,  
No matter what she says, it's true.  
I know that she hurts you, but remember..  
I love you too.  
~  
  
"I-- I wish I may.. I wish I might...--- oh..." she ended it abruptly, and her face became sturn.  
"I can't wemember the west!" she snarled at herself, and stomped her foot angrily on the carpet.  
"Anyways..." she looked back up at the window. "Staw, pwese don't make Daddy leave... I love Daddy..."  
  
~  
I ran away today, ran from the noise, ran away.  
Don't wanna go back to this place, but don't have no choice.. no way.  
~  
  
She looked down at the white fox in her arms again and felt herself start up into tears, she looked back up at the window. ".. Pwese staw... pwese."  
  
~  
It ain't easy growin' up in WW3 never knowin what love could be  
You see I don't want love to destory me like it has my family.  
  
(Can we work it out?)  
Can we work it..  
(Can we be a family?)  
Out..  
(I promise I'll be better...)  
I promise I'll do  
(Mommy I'll do anything..)  
Anything to keep you there.  
(Can we work it out?)  
(Can we be a family?)  
(I promise I'll be better..)  
I promise I promise..  
(Daddy please don't leave.)  
Stay...  
~  
  
[Seven Years Later]  
  
The dark night of the digital world had crept over the group of tamers, the eight lay on the ground, some asleep, some just watching the sky. The bright pink portals sending data back and forth seemed to be like comets in the sky. Small Suzy Wong lay beside her older brother, who was fast asleep. She stared up at the lights, facinated that all that could be happening in the sky at the same time, especially at night.  
The giant green ball in the sky, much like the moon in her opinion, made the entire sky an eery color, but she didn't care, she loved to look at the sky. She turned her head slightly and saw a few feet away Rika who was laying against Renamon, staring up at the sky also; her violet eyes were determined, as if she was thinking of something as she stared up into the infinite lights.  
  
~  
In our family portrait we look pretty happy..  
Let's play pretend, act like it comes naturally.  
I don't wanna hafta' split the holidays.  
I don't want two addresses.  
I don't want a stepbrother anyways.  
And I don't want my Mom to have to change her last name..  
~  
  
"Wika? Can't you sleep?" Little Suzy said quietly, as to not disturb her brother.  
Rika jumped slightly, making Renamon turn over in her sleep from her tamer suddenly moving.  
Rika looked over at the little girl and shook her head. "No, I can't. You should sleep though, little girls shouldn't be up at this hour." she said sturnly, but couldn't hide the kindness in her voice.  
Suzy carefully wiggled out of the arm Henry had draped around her and walked to Rika. "I like to stay up wate."  
Rika smirked, going back to watching the sky. Suzy laid back down beside her instead and stared up also.  
"They wook wike staws up thwere." she giggled softly, then calmed into a peaceful state. "I wonder if I can wish for us to go home."  
Rika's face grew a bothered expression as Suzy started reciting the poem she knew much too well.  
"Staw light, staw bwight, fiwst staw I see tonight."   
Rika sighed. "Stop.."  
"Huh?" Suzy looked over at the older girl, a confused look crossing her face.  
"It dosen't work... trust me." Rika sighed, standing to her feet and walking to a nearby tree, leaning against it.  
"I've tried, all it does is bring heartache."  
Suzy kept silent, going back to watching the stars. "Oh."  
  
~  
In our family portrait we look pretty happy we look pretty normal.  
Let's go back to that.  
In our family portrait we look pretty happy let's play pretend.  
Act like it goes naturally.  
~  
  
It was only a few hours before the light of day engulfed the digital world in one giant flash, making many of the tamers cover their eyes and groan. Rika's body was still leaning against the tree, back to them, and Henry was first to spot her.  
He stood up. "Rika you're awake." he yawned and waited for her snappish reply, but nothing came.  
A confused look crossed his face and he took a few steps towards her. Many of the other tamers and digimon had their attention diverted towards him now, and they all froze.  
"Rika?"  
Henry laid his hand on her shoulder and smiled when she didn't jump in alarm, just fell back into his arms. He looked back towards the group and started into a laugh. "She's asleep."  
A few small laughs were heard and the group started their normal packing for the long day's trip.  
Henry gently kneeled down, laying her against the bottom of the tree and stood back up as Suzy clasped around his leg again.   
  
~  
Family portrait we look pretty happy we look pretty normal.. let's go back to that.  
In our family portrait we look pretty happy let's play pretend.. Oh let's go back, oh let's go back to that.  
~  
  
"She's got lots'a inside boo-boos. That's what she told me."  
Henry looked down at his little sister quickly. "What are you talking about?"  
Ryo adjusted his backpack and stood up, eyes narrowing as he listened to the conversation.  
Suzy let go of her brother's leg and looked up a him completly.  
"She wouldn't let me wish on a staw last night."  
Ryo dropped what he was doing and walked to the two, looking down upon Rika. "Her father left her and her mother when she was young, around Suzy's age."  
  
~  
Remember the day, remember the day. Let's go back to that.  
~  
  
Henry fell completly silent and looked down at her also. "Oh.. I-- didn't know that I--"  
"Not many do." Ryo cut him off and continued to speak.  
"Before we came here, me and Rika had been aquainted for quite a long while... I know all about her past.."  
Henry kept silent, and Suzy soon ran back over to wake Lopmon up.  
".. she wished upon a star when she was Suzy's age, but, the wish never came true." Ryo looked back towards Henry. "She's never trusted in anything supersticious like that since."  
"I... I see."  
"Henry go get ready." Ryo changed the subject, a hint of anger in his voice at the boy's insensitivity to Rika's problem. Without another word between them, Henry was off helping Suzy and Ryo had kneeled down in front of Rika.  
"Rika... wake up.." he said in an almost whisper as he nudged her arm.  
  
~  
We looked pretty normal.. let's go back to that.  
~  
  
"Rika.."  
"Huh?" Rika's eyes fluttered open and she sat up straight. Ryo smiled and leaned back a bit.  
"Wha--"  
"You fell asleep against a tree." Ryo stood up, offering his hand down to her.  
She turned her head away from him and stood up on her own, taking the hair piece that held her ponytail out to fix it and letting her hair drop against her shoulder for the time being.  
She tucked it into her pocket. "So are we ready to go."  
Rika's face grew sturn as she looked at his blank stare that was directly to the locks of hair down on her shoulders.  
A quick glare met his eyes and he blinked. "Oh, sorry.. anyways."  
Rika walked back to where Renamon sat, waiting for the others to be ready to leave, and picked up some of her belongings that like the others' were, strung across the ground.  
"Suzy... said you stopped her from wishing on a star..." Ryo stood over her, but just enough that if she tried to take him out, he could easily dodge her.  
  
~  
Daddy don't leave... daddy don't leave.. daddy don't leave, turn around please.  
~  
  
Her silence that followed told him his assumptions were right.  
"Rika... she's just a child."  
Rika stood up and looked him square in the eye. "And she'll have you learn to not put faith in things like that.."  
"Don't hurt others just because you've been hurt." Ryo's voice grew a bit louder, and Terriermon and Lopmon looked over.  
"I'm not hurting anyone!" Rika's voice grew just as loud.  
"You're hurting yourself!"  
Takato and Jeri's conversation was cut short and both looked over, followed by the rest of the tamers.  
Rika and Ryo fought on, forgetting anyone else was even there."  
The hair that Rika let hang on her shoulders bounced with her sudden angry movements she accompanied with her yelling, and Ryo shoved her backwards from time to time to try to enforce his point.  
None of the tamers moved a muscle, afraid of what the two would do if they tried to interfere.  
"YOU'RE JUST LIKE MY FATHER!!"  
A dead silence fell over the group, including Ryo as his face grew a blank look across it.  
"Rika..." he whispered putting his hand out to touch her shoulder.  
"Just.. leave me alone." she whispered as tears started to fall down her face. She turned and ran for all she had.   
"Rika!" Renamon exclaimed, jumping to her feet.  
"Rika!! Don't go off alone!!" Takato's voice echoed after the girl as she ran into the forest at full speed.  
Renamon started into a bound. "WAIT!"  
She skidded to a stop and turned to look at the brunette boy rushing past her.   
"Ryo!"  
But he was already gone. Renamon walked back to the group and sat upon the large hollow log Terriermon and Lopmon were on. Both looked up at her.  
"You let him go.." Lopmon remarked.  
"I had to... they have a stronger bond than me and Rika ever will."  
  
~  
I remember that the night you left, you took my shining star..  
Daddy don't leave, daddy don't leave, daddy don't leave.. don't leave us here alone.  
~  
  
Rika threw herself against a rock near a running stream and broke into heavier sobs she couldn't control no matter how much she fought.  
"RIKA!!"  
Her sobs blocked out the voice of Ryo as he approached her.   
Ryo knelt down beside her carefully and put his hand on her back. "Rika.. I'm... I'm sorry."  
"Just.. leave.. me... alone..." the muffled sobs echoed out.  
"I can't.. leave you like this... Rika please talk to me?"  
Rika sobbed harder by Ryo's touch and he softly rubbed her back. "Shhh.. nevermind.. just cry.. I'm here now."  
Ryo adjusted out of a kneel to a sitting position, and carefully pulled Rika to him, rocking her back and forth. "Rika just cry.. it's okay.. it's just us here.. just cry.."  
  
~  
Mom I'll be nicer.. I'll be so much better..  
I'll tell my brother.. I won't spill the milk at dinner.  
I'll be so much better, I'll do everything right.  
I'll be your little girl forever.. I'll go to sleep at night.  
~ 


End file.
